Abstract
Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) originated in the New World and are the grain legume of greatest production for direct human consumption. Common bean production is subject to frequent droughts in highland Mexico, in the Pacific coast of Central America, in northeast Brazil, and in eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. This article reviews efforts to improve common bean for drought tolerance, referring to genetic diversity for drought response, the physiology of drought tolerance mechanisms, and breeding strategies. Different races of common bean respond differently to drought, with race Durango of highland Mexico being a major source of genes. Sister species of P. vulgaris likewise have unique traits, especially P. acutifolius which is well adapted to dryland conditions. Diverse sources of tolerance may have different mechanisms of plant response, implying the need for different methods of phenotyping to recognize the relevant traits. Practical considerations of field management are discussed including: trial planning; water management; and field preparation.
Highlights
RELEVANT RESULTS PUBLISHED IN THE AREA OF DROUGHT ADAPTATION For common beans, the working definition of drought would be the inadequacy of water availability, including precipitation and soil moisture storage capacity, in quantity and distribution during the life cycle of the crop, which restricts the expression of the full genetic potential of the cultivar
In Africa, droughts are frequent and severe in bean growing areas of eastern Kenya and eastern Transvaal, while other areas such as parts of northern Tanzania, the Kasese area of Uganda, and parts of the Hararghe Highlands and the Rift Valley of Ethiopia are affected by water deficits (Wortmann et al, 1998)
Breeding for drought resistance has a long history in Mexico, Honduras, and Brazil, and at Centro International de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) in Colombia
Summary
Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) originated in the New World and are the grain legume of greatest production for direct human consumption. Common bean production is subject to frequent droughts in highland Mexico, in the Pacific coast of Central America, in northeast Brazil, and in eastern and southern Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. This article reviews efforts to improve common bean for drought tolerance, referring to genetic diversity for drought response, the physiology of drought tolerance mechanisms, and breeding strategies. Different races of common bean respond differently to drought, with race Durango of highland Mexico being a major source of genes. Diverse sources of tolerance may have different mechanisms of plant response, implying the need for different methods of phenotyping to recognize the relevant traits.
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